Along with the health battles, the economic battles and the ensuing emotional battles our society is faced with today, a new frontline battle has emerged for our dealerships: A philosophical battle.

 

For the past two weeks, there has been a frenzy of activity here at the MRAA and at our sister associations at the state level, as we have fought to earn “essential business” status that would allow our dealerships to remain open, at least in part. Some states have denied the requests; some have granted such status, allowing the dealership to operate as normal (with social distancing measures, or course); and others have fallen somewhere in between by allowing some combination of the service shop, parts department or marina to remain open. (You can find some FAQs on this topic here).

 

So, you gained essential status. Now what?

 

Although we may not see it or feel it at the moment, your answer to that question presents a philosophical dilemma you should think through. It boils down to the risk of potentially exposing your family, your employees and your customers and unknowingly spreading the virus. If you haven’t stopped to think about that yet, you need to.

 

Around North America, dealers are faced with this dilemma. Some are choosing to conduct business under their “essential” umbrella. Others are choosing not to. They’re choosing not to because, in some cases, the public perception has been too difficult to overcome, and in other cases, they have decided the risk is too great.

 

Everyone’s situation is unique, and the factors being considered in this decision-making process are cloudy at best. But when dealers ARE open, these are the steps that they are taking to do their best to keep everyone safe (and here’s a sample document you can craft for your dealership, courtesy of a few MRAA members). Some of our members have also consulted with a lawyer, as well, and we suggest you do that before tapping into any resources available to you.

 

1. Create strict guidelines and processes for how you will sell and service boats. See this handy guide MRAA created for you.
2. Rotate staff members so only 50 percent of your team is on-site on a given day. This prevents the entire team from being exposed and needing to be quarantined if someone becomes ill.
3. Lock the doors to the public. Use technology.
4. Remain a minimum of 6 feet apart – from other employees and customers. No exceptions.
5. Create an environment where in-person team meetings are not necessary.
6. And by all means, make coming to work optional.

 

This is not an easy decision, nor is it an easy environment to navigate. We need to find the right balance between keeping our businesses running, paying employees and limiting the risk during this health concern. If you’ve got tips on how you’re creating a safe environment, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.